Jay spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Jay’s town government spent $467,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $857 per resident. Water and other utilities ($465,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Jay is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,913 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Jay’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,913 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 122 Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,101, and the middle half spent $538–$1,708. Jay spent more than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($197,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Jay itself left out).
About $857 per resident a year, or $2.35 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 81%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 63% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Jay reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,913 · 2023: $857. Per resident it went from $1,913 to $857 (down 55%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 653 to 545.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $782 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.52% of the home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Jay’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Jay’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Jay →
Who’s in charge in Jay
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Jay’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofjayfl.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 91 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (545).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Santa Rosa County School District
Jay’s K–12 school district, shared with Gulf Breeze, Milton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,692 per pupil, $6,518 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Florida districts overall: 55% local, 29% state, 15% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Jay’s votes are counted by county
Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Jay alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Santa Rosa County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican74.7%84,314 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.9%27,035 votesOthers: 1.4% (1,561 votes).
Most votes in Santa Rosa County: Donald J Trump
Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%
100% of Jay lies in Santa Rosa County. Every 2024 race in Santa Rosa County is on the county’s page.
Santa Rosa County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Jay.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofjayfl.com ↗
- 2Florida HouseState representatives
- 3Florida SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Florida
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Jay’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Jay’s government
How much does Jay spend per resident?
About $857 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,913 was more than 78% of 122 Florida cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Jay?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $782 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofjayfl.com.
Who runs Jay’s government?
See townofjayfl.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Jay yet.
How did Jay vote in 2024?
Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Jay alone. Santa Rosa County, where 100% of Jay lies, voted Trump 74.7%, Harris 23.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Jay?
6 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $27,908 (about $334,896 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Jay in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Don Gaetz) and State House District 3 (Nathan Boyles). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Jay’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →